The invention relates to an operating element for domestic appliances, in particular an operating knob for a thermal domestic appliance. The invention also relates to a domestic appliance having at least one operating knob.
Operating elements, such as operating knobs for example, are used on many domestic appliances to set outputs or functions. Plastic knobs are often used for cost reasons or because of external physical stress. However these do not convey the high-quality sensation of metal knobs.
It is known that plastic knobs can be coated with metal. This has the advantage that the visual impression of the knob is very good. It has the disadvantage that the feel sensation still corresponds to the feel sensation of plastic. The generally very thin metal layer is not sufficient to convey a good metal sensation to the user. A metal sensation here refers to the sensation the user experiences when touching a metal object. In particular a metal object generally feels cold or cool to the user, even if the object is at room temperature for example.
It has also been proposed that a metal weight should be integrated in a plastic knob, the metal weight being enclosed by the plastic knob. This variant produces a high-quality touch sensation but has the disadvantage that the knob weight is only perceptible when the knob is pulled out and has a sufficiently large diameter.
Knobs made of aluminum/zinc alloys (Al—Zn alloy), in particular Zamak, are also known. Such knobs have the advantage that they convey a very good metal sensation. However they cannot be used in many appliances because of their low permissible temperature limit.